William F. Andrews
From USAFA Folklore
On February 27, 1991, an American F16 fighter/bomber joined in air support for an allied tank battle near Basra. During the fighting, the aircraft was shot down. The pilot of the aircraft, Capt. William Andrews, '80, safely ejected the crippled plane and reported that besides an injured leg, he was fine.
One rescue effort for Andrews failed. An Air Force search and rescue team was flown in by helicopter. Onboard the aircraft was its crew, the search team, and a flight surgeon, Maj. Rhonda Cornum (wife of Capt Cory Cornum, M.D., '80). The helicopter was shot down, and five bodies were located. According to some news sources, three individuals remained missing from the aircraft. When darkness fell, Andrews was to hide and wait for morning rescue. When morning came, Andrews could not be found.
On March 6, 1991, Andrews, Cornum and Troy Dunlap, who had been onboard the helicopter, were released by the Iraqis. Cornum and Andrews were injured, Cornum with two possible broken arms.
